Near Miss
by Irish Rose1
Summary: They were destined to meet, just not then.
1. Default Chapter

I've really enjoyed writing about Rafe and Evelyn and have appreciated all of the feedback. Thank you. 

I've toyed with the idea for awhile about Rafe and Evelyn coming close to meeting before the day of the eye exam but it never occurs. This is what might have happened.

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He hated hospitals. Every time he'd had to go when he was a boy, someone had always died. 

The last time he'd been to a hospital was just before he joined the Army Air Corps and his Grandpa McCawley had passed away. He'd lived a long and happy life but as he'd told his grandson, it was time for him to join Grandma McCawley. He had missed her terribly and was happy to finally be able to see her.

Lieutenant Rafe McCawley was in the hospital because of an accident. In all the times that he'd pushed Major James Doolittle to his limits with the stunts he would pull, Rafe was now in the hospital because he'd not been careful about working around his plane. He had not allowed himself the clearance he needed to stand up and had knocked himself unconscious under the wing of his P-40.

His head hurt like hell, and didn't know how he was going to face his fellow pilots when he returned to the base. Of all things to happen, to get knocked out by your own plane. He sighed and tried to lie as still as possible because that was the only way his head would stop hurting. Of course, his pride hurt like hell too. First in his flight class and he doesn't make sure he's clear of the wing before he stands up.

"You all right Rafe?" 

Rafe looked to the door and saw his best friend and fellow pilot, Lieutenant Danny Walker. His cap was tucked under his arm and he was trying not to grin, but failing badly.

"How the hell do you think I feel?"

"And here I always thought I was the klutz. If anyone were goin' to knock himself out under a wing, I would have put my money on Billy or Red." And he laughed.

"I'm glad you find this so amusin'. I wouldn't be laughin' if this had happened to you."

The look Danny gave Rafe told him different. "Of course you would and you never would have let me forget it for the rest of our lives."

Rafe sighed. "You're right." And he covered his face with his hands. "I'm never goin' to live this down."

"Sure you will. It's only a matter of time before Red or Billy does somethin' that'll outdo this. You'll see."

Lieutenant Evelyn Johnson was at the admissions desk working on a chart when an Air Corps officer approached her. "Lieutenant, I'm Major James Doolittle. Where might I find Lieutenant Rafe McCawley's room?"

She looked at the room assignment chart. "Lieutenant McCawley is down the hall in 103, Major."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." And he walked away from the desk.

"Lieutenant McCawley? Wasn't he that good looking pilot who came in earlier?" Evelyn's friend Barbara asked her.

"I don't know. I must have missed all the excitement when I was inventorying supplies."

Barbara frowned at her. "You shouldn't be doing that. The new nurse, what's here name?"

"Betty."

"Yea, Betty. She was supposed to do that so you could leave early. Didn't you have a date?" Barbara grinned at her.

"He had to cancel." Evelyn sighed. "The Enterprise was sent out on last minute maneuvers."

"Ev, you have got to stop dating pilots."

"There is nothing wrong with pilots. My mother married a pilot." She said, trying not to sound defensive.

"Well then, stop dating Navy pilots."

"How about I stop dating all together, would that make you happy?"

That only made Barbara grin.

As if it couldn't get any more humiliating, Major Doolittle stood in the doorway of Rafe's hospital room. "How are you feeling son?"

"Like an idiot sir."

"That's understandable, Lieutenant. But you are not the first pilot to not watch his head and you will certainly not be the last."

"No disrespect intended sir, but is that supposed to make me feel better?" Rafe asked him.

"No. Being the exceptional pilot you are in the air does not keep you from being careless on the ground." And he smiled.

"Thank you sir."

"No thanks necessary, Lieutenant. Just do what the nurses tell you." And he turned around and left the room.

"Yes sir." Rafe answered. He looked at Danny who had not said a word during the exchange. "Well that made me feel a whole lot better."

"What did you want him to say, good job? Besides, I got a look at one of the nurses as I came in and she's real pretty. Play your cards right and she might be lookin' after you." 

That got Rafe's attention. "What does she look like?"

"Long dark hair, dark eyes...Heck, I might go after her myself." He grinned at his prone friend. 

"That's it Danny, kick me while I'm down."

"Ah heck Rafe, she'd never notice me. You're the one who could give Cary Grant a run for his money. I'd be lucky if I could give Jimmy Stewart a run for _his_. " Danny cuffed him lightly on the shoulder.

Rafe laughed and held his head as he did. "Come on Danny, that ain't so bad."

"Easy for you to say." He said with a rueful grin.

"Evelyn, I need you to go down to 103 and check on that Air Corps pilot. He's got a concussion and I put him on an I.V." The doctor told her.

"Yes, Sir." She got up, found his chart file and headed down to the room. On her way, she saw the Major she had directed to the room that she was headed come back up the hallway and he stopped her.

"Lieutenant, one of my pilots is in 103. How is he?"

Evelyn looked at his chart. "He sustained a concussion and the doctor wants to keep him overnight for observation. His pupils are slightly dilated and he can't sit up for a sustained period. That should clear up by tomorrow after he's had a chance to rest." 

"Thank you, Lieutenant." And he headed toward the exit. Evelyn watched him go and suddenly realized that was _the _James Doolittle that pilots, Army and Navy, looked to in awe. She resumed her course toward 103 and just as she reached the door another doctor stopped her again. "Lieutenant I need you to head up to the third floor and relieve one of the nurses, she's taken sick and had to go home."

"Sir, I was told to check on a patient in here."

"I'll give that to another nurse, please go upstairs." And he held out his hand for the chart.

Evelyn handed it to him, "Yes sir." and headed to the stairs. 

As she started up the first flight, Danny came out of Rafe's room and walked down the hall toward the front door. He happened to glance over toward the stairs and saw that nurse he'd told Rafe about. She had a nice figure; Rafe would appreciate that Danny knew.

He shook his head and wondered when he'd suddenly become his friend's social secretary. He knew if Rafe got a look at that nurse, he'd turn on the McCawley charm and she wouldn't stand a chance. He shook his head again and smiled as he left the hospital.


	2. Dinner Date?

"Ev, did we or did we not have a conversation about you dating pilots? And here you are accepting an invitation from an Air Corps pilot, of all things." Barbara looked at her friend in exasperation.

"I seem to remember you saying I shouldn't date Navy pilots."

"I said pilots and don't change the subject." 

"I'm not and I did not accept an invitation from him. Gosh Barbara, you're sounding like my mother."

"Then how is it you're going out to dinner with a pilot if you didn't." She put her hands on her hips.

"One of the nurses up on three wanted to thank me for taking her shift the other day. She went home sick and I covered for her." Evelyn explained.

"You were ordered up there."

"I know that. But she's a friend of one of the pilots at Mitchell Field and he was trying to set up two of the other pilots. She asked if I would mind going to dinner with one of them so there would be three couples."

"But Ev, a pilot."

"Would you stop saying that! You're acting like I'm going to marry the guy." 

"Come on Rafe, I already talked Danny into going. You're the only other guy I would even think of to round out this little trio." Lieutenant Anthony Fusco pleaded with his friend.

"Why not ask Billy or Red?" 

Anthony looked at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I want Cary Grant. But since I can't get him, you're the closest thing."

"I ain't Cary Grant and I don't know why you think I am." Rafe said. Irritated that this was the second time he was being compared to the popular screen idol. He was a damn good pilot and resented being compared to an actor, even if it was Cary Grant

"Rafe, I've seen what you do to girls. You leave 'em speechless." And he grinned.

That made him flush with embarrassment but he could see he was in a losing battle and sighed. "Who is she?"

"She's a nurse at the hospital in New York. You know where you found yourself after you knocked yourself unconscious?"

"Very funny, Anthony. If you really want me to take that nurse, this ain't the way to do it."

"I'm sorry. I know I promised you I wouldn't bring that up again and I shouldn't have. Rafe, please do this for me and I swear I'll never ask you another favor again."

"She must really be somethin'."

"I wouldn't know, I've never met her."

Rafe looked at his friend. "Oh my god." He said and wondered what he'd just gotten himself into.

Evelyn had finished her shift and was in the nurses changing room, getting ready for dinner. She had said she would meet the two other nurses and the pilots at the restaurant. Why they had chosen a Friday night was beyond her. After a long week, Fridays were always her night to relax, take a long hot bath and listen to the radio. The girls usually had dates and Fridays she usually had to herself, except tonight.

Barbara came in as Evelyn was brushing out her hair, ready to start the next shift. "All ready for your blind date?" 

"I know you disapprove of this, but I think it's only right. She was trying to be nice."

"I'm sorry for making you feel so bad about this, Ev. It's one of my business who you go out with and I know this wasn't your idea."

"If you weren't my friend you wouldn't bother and you know I wouldn't do this if I didn't want to. Who knows, he might be a nice guy."

"I hope so." And she hugged her friend.

Evelyn got her coat out the closet and put it on. "If you want I'll come back on my way home and tell you how it went."

Barbara grinned at her. "You do that honey. I want to know if he was worth it."

Evelyn smiled at her. "You'll be the second to know." And she left the room. 

Rafe sat with Danny, Anthony and two nurses he didn't know. He kept asking himself how he'd let Anthony talk him into this because he could think of so many things he'd rather be doing. Getting chewed out by the Major didn't seem like such a bad thing right now, but Anthony was his friend and he had to make the best of it. 

The nurse he was paired up with was late and he was trying not to look at his watch. Mama had always told him it was never all right if a girl were not punctual. If a man was expected to be on time so should she.

He tried not to sigh and chewed on another breadstick. 

"I'm going to call the hospital and see what's keeping her." Anthony's friend said and got up to go look for the telephone. Her companion suddenly needed to go powder her nose and got up and left in the other direction.

This left the three pilots alone and Anthony was apologetic. "I'm sorry about this Rafe. She told me this nurse would be here."

Rafe shook his head. "Somethin' probably happened at the hospital." He said charitably.

"I'll never ask you to do this again, I swear."

Rafe pointed a breadstick at him. "I'm holdin' you to that, Anthony."

When Anthony's friend finally made it back to their table she sat down and told them her friend would not be able to come. She'd been called back to organize supplies because of the final physicals the Navy and the Army were coordinating for the pilots the following week. "She was really sorry about not calling but she wasn't able to get to a telephone."

Rafe knew an out when he saw it. "Anthony..." Was as far as he got.

"It's okay Rafe, you can go back to the barracks." 

Rafe stood up. "I 'preciate that. I'll see y'all tomorrow." He said to his friends and to Anthony's friend. "Ma'am."

"I'm sorry about all of this Lieutenant. We've been short nurses recently and we've all had to take on more than our fair share. None of us truly get time off."

"I understand ma'am." And he left the dining room.

Evelyn was really upset when she hung up the telephone at the front desk. She had been called back to work when one of the night shift nurses failed to show up. 

The restaurant was not far from the hospital and she had decided to walk. She'd made it as far as the front door when she was hailed by one of the orderlies to come back. She had not been given the chance to go into the restaurant to explain and had to leave. 

Of all things to be called back for, preparing for the mass physicals they would be conducting. Honestly!

She happened to glance toward the front entrance when she saw an Air Corps pilot walk past the door. It was just a moment, but she could see he was handsome. His cap was tilted like most of those cocky pilots wore them and he was tall. She couldn't tell what color his hair was because it was too dark.

That got her to shake her head and smile. What was it about pilots that always got her attention? 

And she left the front desk to return to the supply room. 


End file.
